Virtual Doc Visits Arrive

Walgreens debuts MDLive
By Scott Warner

Walgreens customers can now talk live to doctors through a free smartphone app, thanks to a partnership with telehealth provider, MDLive. The app works with the Walgreens loyalty card so people earn points when they use it to track their blood pressure, walking distance, weight, and other health care goals. The doctor-consultation feature allows patients to video-chat with certified doctors through a computer, smartphone or tablet, and lets users seek advice for non-emergency conditions such as sore throats, rashes and earaches. Physicians can also write prescriptions.

The virtual doctor visit costs $49 and lasts 10 to 15 minutes. The system also links to patient lab results and medical records, as well as insurance and payment systems. “The idea of convenience is really becoming a dominant theme in health care,” a Walgreens spokesman stated in a press release. “I think this will become a normal part of health care in three to five years.”

Adding a word of caution, Chicago Medical Society President Kenneth G. Busch, MD, points out that telemedicine, like mini clinics, is evolving to play a larger role in health care delivery. “Your society is working to ensure that patient safety is paramount with these new platforms,” he said.